Study guide
8.1 Federal District Court Format & Page Specifications
AAERT Certified Electronic Transcriber CET
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1 Chapter 1: CET Exam Orientation
1.1 The CET Credential, Exam Format & Eligibility 1.2 The Practical Exam Workflow & a Blueprint-Based Study Plan
2 Chapter 2: Ethics, Conflicts of Interest & Confidentiality
2.1 Ethical Obligations & Avoiding the Appearance of Impropriety 2.2 Conflicts of Interest: Recognizing and Handling Them 2.3 Confidentiality, NDAs, File Security & HIPAA
3 Chapter 3: Professional Behavior, Multi-Channel Audio & Equipment
3.1 Professional Behavior: Impartiality, the Accurate Record & Service 3.2 Multi-Channel Recording & How to Play Channels 3.3 Troubleshooting, Technical Escalation & Equipment Maintenance
4 Chapter 4: Proofreading, Spelling, Capitalization & Numbers
4.1 Proofreading vs. Literary Editing & Why Spelling Matters 4.2 Capitalization in a Transcript 4.3 Numbers in a Transcript
5 Chapter 5: [sic], Abbreviations, Clauses & Commas
5.1 [sic] and Abbreviations 5.2 Clauses & the Core Comma Rules 5.3 Commas in Testimony: Address, Introductory Words, Appositives, Series & Tags
6 Chapter 6: End Punctuation, Colons, Semicolons & Quotation Marks
6.1 Periods, Question Marks & Exclamation Points 6.2 Colons & Semicolons 6.3 Quotation Marks in a Transcript
7 Chapter 7: Apostrophes, Dashes, Hyphens, Ellipses, Slashes & Parentheses
7.1 Apostrophes: Possessives, Contractions & Plurals 7.2 Dashes & Hyphens: Interruptions, Breaks and Compounds 7.3 Ellipses, Slashes & Parentheses
8 Chapter 8: Federal Format, Title Page & Index Page
8.1 Federal District Court Format & Page Specifications 8.2 The Title Page 8.3 The Index Page
9 Chapter 9: Proceedings Page, Headers, Certificate & Colloquy
9.1 The Proceedings Page, Calls to Order & Page Headers 9.2 The Transcriber's Certificate 9.3 Colloquy, Question-and-Answer Format & Paragraphing
10 Chapter 10: Oaths, Parentheticals, Exhibits & Special Procedures
10.1 Swearing Witnesses, Parenthetical Notations & Exhibits 10.2 Quoted Material, Words Spelled on the Record & Italics for Non-English Words 10.3 Strikes, Playbacks, Recordings Played, Asides & Sidebars
11 Chapter 11: Special Designations, Interpreters, Remote Jobs & Verbatim Rules
11.1 Certified Questions, Redactions & Confidential Designations 11.2 Interpreters, Videographers & Remote Proceedings 11.3 Verbatim Transcription: Tics, Substantive Words & Chopped-Down Speech
12 Chapter 12: Interruptions, Indiscernible Speech & Transcriber Judgment Calls
12.1 Interruptions, Indiscernible Speech & Nonverbal Responses 12.2 Log Notes, Case Information, the Court Reporter & Judgment Calls on Names and Speakers
13 Chapter 13: Page Estimates, Originals & Copies, Drafts & Research
13.1 Page Estimates, Original vs. Copy & Rough and Expedited Transcripts 13.2 References, Internet Research & Understanding the Case
14 Chapter 14: Proceedings, Case Types & the Life Cycle of a Case
14.1 Types of Proceedings & Federal Read and Sign 14.2 Types of Cases & the Order of Court and Non-Court Proceedings 14.3 The Life Cycle of a Case
15 Chapter 15: Parties, Legal Documents, Jurisdiction & Venue
15.1 Parties, Participants & Types of Witnesses 15.2 Reading Legal Documents & Using the Docket 15.3 Jurisdiction, Venue & Civil vs. Criminal Proceedings
16 Chapter 16: Case Law, Citations & Jury Selection
16.1 Case Law & the Elements of a Case Citation 16.2 Jury Selection (Voir Dire) & Bench vs. Jury Trials
17 Chapter 17: Legal & Latin Terminology
17.1 Legal Terminology I: Pleadings, Motions, Orders & Procedure 17.2 Legal Terminology II: Evidence, Objections, Rulings & Trial Terms 17.3 Latin Terminology I: Procedure, Courts & Parties 17.4 Latin Terminology II: Doctrine, Evidence & Criminal Law
18 Chapter 18: Medical Terminology
18.1 Medical Terminology I: Word Parts, Directions & Anatomy 18.2 Medical Terminology II: Conditions, Procedures, Medications & Sound-Alikes
8.1 Federal District Court Format & Page Specifications
Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI
Federal transcript text begins 1-3/4 inches from the left edge of the page and ends 3/8 inch from the right edge (Guide to Judiciary Policy § 520.30).
Each federal transcript page carries 25 numbered lines of double-spaced text at 10 characters per inch, about 63 characters per line.
Page numbers go at the top right, flush with the right margin above line 1, and neither page numbers nor headings count as one of the 25 lines.
Q and A designations begin at the left margin with text at the fifth space; colloquy speaker IDs begin at the tenth space; parentheticals open at the fifth space.
No court, judge, supervisor, reporter or transcriber may authorize a deviation from the Judicial Conference transcript format.
Last updated: September 2026
AAERT's certification page says the practical exam "entails creating a transcript using the federal format," and AAERT's Exam Resources page explains that "as a national certification, AAERT has adopted the FEDERAL TRANSCRIPT FORMAT for the CET Practical Exam." Blueprint topics 30101 and 30108 ask you to identify federal District Court formatting standards and page specifications such as line numbers and font.
Where the federal format comes from
The Judicial Conference of the United States first adopted a uniform transcript format in 1944 "to assure that each party is treated equally throughout the country." The current rules are in the Guide to Judiciary Policy , Volume 6 (Court Reporting), Chapter 5, § 520 . Two sentences explain why the rules are strict:
"The format requirements must be followed because minor changes result in significant monetary losses to parties. No court, judge, supervisor, reporter, or transcriber may authorize a deviation."
"The per-page transcript rates are based on strict adherence to the prescribed format."
Because transcripts are billed per page, extra-wide margins or short pages would overcharge the ordering party. The same Guide (§ 510.40.20(e)) applies all format, delivery and fee rules to transcripts prepared from electronic sound recordings "as if the transcript were produced by one of the court's reporters."
The page specifications
- Element Federal rule (§ 520)
- Paper 8-1/2 x 11 inches, white (§ 520.23)
Margins Preprinted solid left and right marginal lines are required; top and bottom lines are optional. Text begins 1-3/4 inches from the left side and ends 3/8 inch from the right side (§ 520.30)
- Line numbers Each page shows numbers for each line of transcription (§ 520.33)
- Type size 10 letters to the inch , about 63 characters per line, letter-quality type (§ 520.36.10)
Lines per page 25 lines of text ; the last page may have fewer; page numbers and notations do not count as lines (§ 520.36.15)
- Spacing Double-spaced (§ 520.36.25)
- Case Upper and lower case preferred; all capitals permitted (§ 520.36.30)
- Ink Black (§ 520.36.05)
Page number Top right corner, flush with the right margin, above the first line; not counted as a line (§ 520.50.10)
Page heading On every page of witness testimony, above line 1 on the same line as the page number; not counted as a line (§ 520.36.50)
The 25-line rule has one narrow exception: for daily or hourly transcripts of jury trials, the presiding judge may approve page breaks before and after sidebar conferences, bench conferences and motion hearings, with a half-page billing reduction for each such page (§ 520.36.15(b)).
Font
The Guide specifies 10 characters per inch , not a font name. In practice this means a fixed-pitch (monospaced) font such as Courier New at 12 points , which is what AAERT's Word template uses. A proportional font such as Times New Roman cannot produce a fixed 10 characters per inch.
AAERT's template
AAERT's Federal Format Template for Word contains "a 25-line line-numbering array" that "remains fixed whether text needs to be single or double-spaced, or a combination of the two." Use it rather than building your own. On the practical, a template you have practiced with is far safer than one you set up under time pressure.
Tab positions: where each kind of line starts
Line type Rule (§ 520.36.35 and § 520.36.55) AAERT's description
Q and A "Q" and "A" begin at the left margin ; a period after them is optional; the statement begins on the fifth space ; later lines return to the left margin Q/A text at the first tab
Colloquy Speaker ID begins on the tenth space , followed directly by a colon; the statement begins on the third space after the colon ; later lines return to the left margin Speaker IDs at the second tab
Parentheticals Open parenthesis on the fifth space , remark beginning on the sixth Parentheticals at the first tab
Quoted material (other than depositions) Begins on the tenth space , and additional quoted lines also begin at the tenth space, with quotation marks
Depositions read at trial Same as Q and A, each Q and A preceded by a quotation mark
Speaker/event lines Capital letters, centered : DIRECT EXAMINATION, CROSS EXAMINATION, PLAINTIFF RESTS Centered exam line
A sample page in that layout: Lim - Direct 4
1 MR. KENNELLY: I'd like to call Mr. Edward Lim.
2 THE COURT: Raise your right hand, please.
3 EDWARD BOYNTON LIM, PLAINTIFF'S WITNESS, SWORN
4 THE COURT: Have a seat, please.
5 DIRECT EXAMINATION
6 BY MR. KENNELLY:
7 Q. Are you familiar with the substance of this complaint?
8 In fact, you filed it, correct? Wasn't that in 2001?
9 MR. NADLER: Objection, Your Honor; compound.
10 THE COURT: Sustained.
(Adapted from AAERT's examination sample. Lines 11 to 25 continue in the same pattern.)
Notice: the header and page number sit above line 1 and are not numbered; the Q line starts at the margin and its runover (line 8) returns to the margin; colloquy starts at the second tab; the examination line is centered in capitals.
Other federal rules worth knowing
Electronic transcripts may be sold as PDF, ASCII or another agreed format, must follow the same page format, and must not contain protection or programming codes that prevent copying (§ 520.15).
Compressed transcripts (several standard pages on one sheet) are billed per standard page; offering them is optional (§ 520.16).
Page numbering runs in a single consecutive series for each proceeding, regardless of the number of days (§ 520.50.10(a)). For multi-volume transcripts, see Section 8.3.
Legibility: the original and each copy must be legible "without any interlineations materially defacing the transcript" (§ 520.36.60).
State formats differ
State courts set their own formats. Some use different margins, line lengths, certificates and deadlines. The CET practical uses federal format, and AAERT notes that "formats for your particular contracts and/or jurisdictions may vary from federal requirements." On the job, always check which format the court or client requires (Chapter 15).